Stéphane Verger

Stéphane Verger says: “Fossil fuel based resources used for material production such as plastics, are not infinite. The world is inevitably switching back to bio-based material production. In this revolution wood and wood fibers are a major raw material that starts to substitute almost any plastic material. While renewable and biodegradable, in a number of applications, bio-based material properties do not match those of plastic polymers yet. Most importantly this revolution needs to be sustainable. Although it is a renewable resource, high rate forest harvesting and fiber extraction processes can cause environmental concerns. We need to find long term solutions that will ensure sustainable, high-yield and also high-quality of bio-based raw material production to replace fossil fuel in the future. The overarching goal of this project is to provide basic knowledge and proof of concept for the generation of trees with high-yield and high-quality fibers, providing new genetic tools for the future.”

Photo: Johan Gunséus